1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the certain novel esters of highly purified branched alcohols which are prepared by the reaction of a pure alpha methyl alcohol and a fatty acid. These materials are useful as viscosity index modifiers and lubricating oils where outstanding liquidity, resistance to oxidation, and minimal variation in viscosity as a function of temperature is required. This combination of properties make these compounds excellent candidates as additives to synthetic lubricating oil and extreme pressure additives.
2. Description of the Art Practices
Guerbet alcohols have been known for many years. Over the years there have been a number of derivatives patented. U.S. Pat. 4,868,236 to O'Lenick discloses a guerbet citric ester and polymers thereof useful in plastic lubrication. U.S. Pat. 4,425,458 to Lindner and O'Lenick teaches that specific guerbet esters can be used as polycarbonate lubricants.
Guerbet alcohols are regio specific beta branched alcohols. A typical guerbet alcohol conforms to the following structure: ##STR1## This substitution pattern gives liquidity, but the compounds of the present invention provide compounds which have much less variation in viscosity as a function of temperature than the same product derived from guerbet alcohols.